


The Universe Never Makes Mistakes

by allhomoallthetime



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, I swear, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Keith and Shiro are Adoptive Siblings, M/M, Misunderstandings, Non-graphic vomiting, Orphan Keith (Voltron), Soulmate-Identifying Marks, and he's p emo, drumroll please, idk why i wrote this, it gets happy, its a, its the first words one, like its just mentioned, seriously dude, v brief mentions of lance's fam and keefs dad, yep a soulmate au bc that hasn't been done before
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-27
Updated: 2017-11-27
Packaged: 2019-02-07 12:56:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12841626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allhomoallthetime/pseuds/allhomoallthetime
Summary: Keith has known that his soulmate was going to hate him since he was nine years old, but it's so much more difficult to face when it's really happening.Lance has always been optimistic about his soulmate, but when his words are said and Keith doesn't say anything he figures something's gone wrong. That maybe Keith is his soulmate but maybe he isn't Keith's.AKA two idiots don't communicate until they do, and realize they're both stupid.





	The Universe Never Makes Mistakes

**Author's Note:**

> rip i dont know what this is have fun pals

The day Keith got his soul-mark was the worst day of his life. It wasn’t until an EMT pointed it out in the ambulance that he realized that it had even happened. But that’s not how his day started.

That day started like any other - his father grumpily waking him up, going straight to school without the opportunity to even eat. The usual. Keith’s father had always held an unwarranted animosity toward his son, for in his eyes the small boy was the reason his wife had died. In fact, Keith’s life was already pretty shit before any of this happened - he was raised by a single father who hated him and he had no friends, except for Zach. Though Zach wasn’t his friend. 

Zach was forced to spend time with Keith because his parents made him. Zach was a bully who spent his life making Keith suffer. Keith had always been alone in the world.

That afternoon Keith’s father was on the way to Zach’s house to drop Keith off for a sleepover he didn’t want to go to. Which is what Keith kept telling his father. Loudly. So when the older man looked away from the road to loudly and brutally berate his son he didn’t notice the car veer into the other lane. Or the other car that slammed into them.

The next thing Keith remembered was waking up in the ambulance to find out that he was now officially an orphan. He felt a sharp pain on the inside of his wrist, and looked down to see small words written haphazardly across his flesh, “You think you’re so great, don’t you, Mullet? But you’re nothing more than a stuck-up teacher’s pet.”. That night Keith cried himself to sleep in an uncomfortable hospital bed. The next day he was informed that he was going to be put in the system since he had no family.

He was only nine years old.

\---

Lance got his soul-mark on his ninth birthday. He was so ecstatic to know he was one of the lucky few in the world to have somebody that was perfect for them. His parents were both soulmates and his oldest sister had just found her soulmate. Lance had grown up seeing just how wonderful true love is. 

He wasn’t even deterred by the cold words decorating his chest, “Do I know you?”. His mother helpfully pointed out that it wasn’t necessarily cruel, after all they were going to be meeting each other for the first time. All his other gifts paled in comparison to the one the one that the universe had bestowed upon him that day.

\---

Keith was 17 years old when he met his soulmate. It was in the Garrison cafeteria during lunchtime.

Keith had been having a shitty day - his calculus teacher kept comparing other students to him and calling on him and he’d woken up feeling more low than usual that morning. So of course the world just had to kick him while he was down.

The attractive Latino boy that he had noticed in several of his classes had confronted him while he was looking for Shiro. He looked up tiredly, unsure of what was happening. The boy’s usually pretty face was twisted into an ugly scowl Keith noted. 

“You think you’re so great, don’t you, Mullet? But you’re nothing more than a stuck-up teacher’s pet.” The boy spat venomously. Keith blinked, his brain struggling to compute.

He found his soulmate. The person who was meant to love him unconditionally no matter what. The person who hated him. Keith felt something inside of him shatter as he turned around and left the cafeteria, finding himself retching in the boys toilets. 

He pulled himself together and attended his next class like nothing had happened.

\---

When he’s 17 Lance has one bad day that sticks in his mind for years to come. All the inadequacy and self-hate he’d been feeling ever since he first joined the Garrison had been churning inside of him like a stormy sea. It only got worse throughout the day.

Lance was continually getting things wrong and making mistakes during school. While Keith fucking Kogane sat on his throne at the top of every fucking class. But it was during his calculus class that he snapped.

Lance had actually read ahead and understood what they were doing for once, so when the teacher asked a question he had confidently raised his hand. He turned red as the teacher pronounced him wrong and everybody laughed. The teacher then turned to his star pupil (Keith fucking Kogane), who answered the math problem in the sort of monotone voice that implied it was the easiest fucking thing in the world and that Lance was a complete idiot for not getting it. 

If that wasn’t bad enough the teacher had turned back to Lance, “That’s how it’s done. You should really try to be more like Keith, maybe then you wouldn’t be on the verge of failing every class.” Lance looked down shamefully, not even feeling better when Hunk placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

The next time he saw Keith he decided to give the asshole a piece of his mind. He walked up to the other boy in the cafeteria. Keith had looked up expectantly, as though he was wondering why Lance thought he was good enough to talk to him. For Lance that was the last straw, so he spat out the first thing he could think of, just wanting to see the boy who had caused him so much pain feel hurt. 

Keith had blinked, completely unimpressed, then calmly walked away like Lance was nothing. Lance glared at his retreating form.

“Hey, dude. I get that you hate being compared to him, but that was pretty harsh.” Hunk interrupted and Lance looked over at his best friend. His gaze caught on his idol, Shiro, who gave him a disappointed look and a shake of the head before he too left.

“You’re right, Hunk,” Lance had admitted quietly, feeling guilt overwhelm him.

\---

The last time Lance saw Keith is the day the Kerberos Crew is announced dead due to pilot error. Keith is expelled for punching Iverson in the face. Lance realized that maybe, just maybe, he had been wrong about the other boy.

But as he sees the familiar figure run into the tent where Shiro’s being held, all he can think of is that fact that this is meant to be Lance’s moment of glory. So he ignores his teammates confused yells and runs after him.

“No, no, no, no, no. I’m saving Shiro, thank you very much,” Is the first thing Lance says to Keith after seeing him for the first time in forever.  
“Do I know you?” Is the first thing Keith says to Lance after seeing him for the first time in forever. In fact, it’s the first thing he actually ever says to Lance.

Lance feels his heart skip a beat and his eyes widen. The skin above his heart burns and he feels nauseous. He searches Keith’s face for some sign that the other boy knew that Lance was his soulmate. He sees nothing. 

He covers it with some bullshit about rivalry and accepts that Keith may be his soulmate, but Lance isn’t Keith’s.

\---

Keith exits the tent mostly ignoring whatever it is Lance is babbling and occasionally throwing in an insult. Sue him, he’s bitter. He’s earned it after the tragedy that is his life. There are two others waiting outside the tent - he recognises the larger boy as Lance’s friend from the Garrison but the other is-

“Pidge?” He asks disbelievingly. The smaller of the two looks up with wide, happy eyes behind their brother’s glasses.  
“Keith!” They exclaim and crush him in a hug. He ignores Lance and his friends’ surprise to hug the small teenager.

Unfortunately their reunion is cut short by the hordes of Garrison soldiers chasing after them. So it’s after one extreme hover-bike chase scene and the time required to situate an unconscious Shiro in the only bed in his small desert cabin (which is extremely difficult as a sidenote, especially when nobody helps you) that he gets a chance to catch up with Pidge.

But before they can get into their various conspiracy theories and see if there are any links Lance interrupts.  
“So how do you two know each other?” The annoying boy asked.  
“Keith and I are childhood friends,” Pidge replied while carefully examining Keith’s Conspiracy Board (trademark pending).  
“Right,” Lance drew out the word obnoxiously. “What about Shiro?”  
“Shiro and I are childhood friends,” Pidge replied in the same monotone. Lance rolled his eyes.  
“Actually, Pidge, I was talking to Mullet over there,” He corrected. Keith sighed.  
“He’s my brother.” Keith looked over at the man in question, wondering again what could have happened to him. He was interrupted by Lance’s derisive laughter.  
“Bullshit. You don’t even look related.” Keith felt his fists clench.

Pidge turned toward Lance, slowly and deadly. Their mouth was curled into a snarl as they took up a protective position in front of Keith. Keith lightly put a hand on their shoulder, shaking his head when they looked back at him. Pidge sent Lance one last glare before turning back to the board.

Everything was quiet and tense for the rest of the night.

\---

Lance found it surprisingly difficult to think about his soulmate woes while in the middle of a fucking Space War. An actual war. In space. But when Allura inquired about the words decorating both of Shiro’s forearms it slapped him in the face all over again. Along with the fact that Shiro had two soulmates, holy shit.

The only good thing about it was seeing Keith’s defensiveness as the Princess moved across the room asking each human about their respective soulmarks. Well, of course that was until he’d said, “It doesn’t matter who it is. They hate me.”. That was just sad.

But as much as Lance hated himself for it, he couldn’t deny that he felt some small amount of vindictive pleasure knowing that maybe Keith was suffering too.

\---

Keith felt the relief wash over him as Lance emerged (fell) from the healing pod. He’d logically known that the other boy was going to be okay, but seeing him, his soulmate, completely healthy hit him harder than he thought it could. As the relief slowly faded it was replaced with a tentative hope for the future. 

The words “We are a good team” kept circling around his head. Maybe, just maybe, this whole soulmate thing would actually work out for him. Maybe Keith wasn’t destined to be alone like he’d always assumed.

Well, at least that’s how he felt until Lance had proclaimed, “Bonding moment? What bonding moment? Don’t remember it, didn’t happen!” 

Keith felt his heart sink as he quietly left the room. Nobody seemed to notice, all too busy fussing over Lance. But that was fine. It’s not like Keith really mattered anyway.

\---

Lance felt terrible when he saw Keith’s face fall as he announced that the bonding moment hadn’t happened (even though he definitely remembered it). He only felt worse when the other boy left, looking utterly dejected. Lance had never felt so horrible in his life.

Well, until the team found Keith after an infiltration mission gone awry. The red paladin looked dead lying there on the ground. There was so much blood, so many wounds. Lance had to leave him to vomit against the wall. Everything beyond that was a blur as Hunk picked up the unconscious - no, dying - boy and carried him into his lion.

Lance wasn’t quite sure what happened after that, only that he found himself in the infirmary along with everybody else. Pidge was hugging Shiro and crying. Allura was standing there in shock. 

The quiet was only broken when Coran spoke. “We have to get him into a healing pod, it may not be too late,” He was on the verge of tears but the words came out clearly. Slowly they all registered what he had said and everything broke out into contained chaos.

Coran went to prepare the healing pod. Allura retrieved the equivalent of a hospital gown (Space hospital gow- no, not the time, brain). He and Hunk prepared Keith for the pod. Pidge and Shiro were too distraught to help.

Carefully he and Hunk undressed the boy, ever so delicately removing each piece of clothing to dress him in the hospital gown. Lance felt himself flinch when seeing the scars decorating Keith’s arms when removing the boy’s jacket. They both bandaged every wound, and soon enough Keith was ready to go in the pod. Well except for-

“Don’t take off his gloves,” Shiro cried out suddenly, getting in Lance’s face. “He hates not wearing them, please.”  
“We have to, my boy. I’m sorry,” Coran comforted. Shiro acquiesced.

Coran peeled off Keith’s gloves, wet with blood, revealing both the huge gash on his left hand and the words decorating his left wrist. Lance couldn’t help but read them, only to realize that it was his words. His horrible words from all that time ago. 

What Keith had said to Allura struck him again, “It doesn’t matter who it is. They hate me.”. Keith had been talking about him. Lance backed away disbelievingly. No, no. It couldn’t be true-

“Lance?” Hunk asked. The boy in question looked up, spooked. “Are you okay?” Lance shook his head as he slowly backed away. Hunk called out again, but Lance didn’t seem to notice as he turned and ran from the room.

\---

When Keith found himself falling face first out of the healing pod the second he started waking up, he suddenly understood how Lance had done the same thing so long ago. Sure the Alteans have super advanced medicine, but they sure have some huge design flaws he decided as he watched the floor rush up to meet his face, limbs too useless to prevent his fate.

Well, it’s been nice, an embarrassing way to go out for sure but it had to hap- Keith’s train of thought cut out when a pair of muscular arms caught him. He looked up to see all his teammates watching him, all except for Lance. He searched the room, hoping he just hadn’t noticed the boy, but he wasn’t there.  
“Is Lance okay?” He asked, trying to keep himself calm as his mind raced over every possible worst case scenario.  
“Yeah, he’s fine,” Hunk comforted him. “He’s just… busy.” Keith knew exactly what that meant - he didn’t want to be here. He pushed the thought out of his head and put on the mask that said he was fine.

After escaping their coddling Keith decided he didn’t want to go back to sleep. Four days had been long enough for him. So he decided to visit the observatory, so he could stare into the unending void of space and definitely not cry.

Of course Lance happened to be there, because nothing in his life can go right. Upon seeing him Keith slowly started backing out of the room, accidentally knocking over something in his haste. He winced as Lance jumped and turned around.

“Oh… Keith,” He sounded sad. He uncomfortably scratched the back of his neck “It’s good you’re alive?”  
“Uh, yeah, Sorry for interrupting you.” Keith pointed at the door, “I’ll just leave.”  
“No!” Lance called out instinctively before Keith could move. He coughed awkwardly, “I mean, you could stay if you want? Don’t leave because of me.”

Keith took a moment to deliberate it before shrugging and cautiously approaching Lance, who was sitting so close to the window that if Allura was there she’d be lecturing him on dirtying the glass. Then probably making him clean it. 

Lance patted the ground beside him, Keith sat. He tried his hardest to not look over at the other boy, but couldn’t stop himself from glancing over. Lance was already looking at him, which caused Keith to immediately turn away, face red.

“I like to come here when I miss my family,” Lance admitted, “It helps to know that they’re out there somewhere. Even if it’s far away.”  
“It must be nice knowing that when you get home there are people waiting for you, who love you unconditionally.” Keith fiddled with his hands.  
“Dude, your family’s waiting too.” Lance nudged him in what was meant to be a reassuring manner.  
“No,” Keith started, looking up from his hands and into the stars. “I wish that’s how it worked for me, but it isn’t.”  
“C’mon dude, drop the whole loner schtick. They still love you, even if they were mad that you got kicked out of the Garrison.”  
“You don’t understand, Lance-” Keith was cut off by the other’s loud groan.

Keith abruptly stood up, turning and walking toward the door. This was stupid, he should have known better. Lance scrambled to his feet and grabbed the retreating boy’s shoulder.

“Wait! Why are you leaving?”  
“Because you don’t understand!” Keith yelled.  
“What don’t I understand?” Lance angrily waved his arms, “Sure, maybe your relationship with your family isn’t the best, but I’m sure they miss you!”  
“They don’t!”  
“Oh, I’m sorry you’re so fucking emo that you can’t imagine that somebody gives a shit about you!” Lance took a deep breath, “But how can you know that nobody on Earth cares?”  
“Because I do, okay?!”  
“Well maybe I need to tell myself that my family is out there and they miss me to keep myself sane. We can’t all be as self-sufficient and superior as you.” Keith stumbled back, offended.  
“My family is dead, Lance.” The words were cold. “I’m a fucking orphan. Nobody on Earth misses me,” Keith wiped away tears, “Didn’t you wonder why I lived in a cabin in the desert by myself for a year? I’m alone. Nobody cares about me, Lance.”

Lance grabbed Keith and held him as he cried, feeling guilty about all the horrible things he had said to him. Keith desperately held onto Lance as he broke down into his shoulder. Neither boy knew how long they stood there by the time Keith had run out of tears, only that it had felt like an eternity.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Lance cautiously started, “Why did you say that Shiro was your brother, back when we rescued him?”  
“He took me under his wing when I was 15, pretty much forced his parents to foster me.” Keith shrugged, “Not that they cared about me when their precious Takashi wasn’t there to guilt them into it.”  
“Wait, wait, wait,” Lance held up a hand, bewildered expression on his face, “Who’s Takashi?”  
Keith gave him a disbelieving look, “Shiro? Takashi Shirogane? The paladin of the black lion?”  
“Holy shit.”  
“You seriously didn’t know his full name this entire time?” Keith burst into laughter, Lance found himself entranced.

Lance noticed that Keith still wasn’t in proper clothes as he stared at him. The castle temperature was generally fairly cold he justified as he shucked off his jacket and held it out to Keith. He definitely didn’t just want to see Keith in his clothes. That would be preposterous.

“Here, you’re probably cold,” Lance offered. Keith smiled.  
“Thanks.”

He reached for the jacket, noticing the lack of his gloves for the first time. He felt his breathing quicken.

“Where are my gloves? Who took them off?” He questioned Lance.  
“Coran did,” Keith seemed to relax with that. Lance took a deep breath, he had to talk to him about this, “But I saw.”  
“What?” Keith looked… scared?  
“Is it,” Lance looked away, his heart beating loudly in his chest, “Is it me?”  
“I think so,” Keith quietly spoke. Lance dropped his jacket. “I’m sorry, I know you don’t want me like that.”  
“No, Keith.” Lance cradled his face in his hands, “I’m sorry, I’m so fucking sorry that the first words I said to you were so horrible and that now it’s marked on you forever.”  
“It’s fine, it’s not like I’m your soulmate or anything.” Keith shrugged, a heartbroken look on his face.

Lance forced the boy to look at him before ripping off his shirt. Keith read the short sentence on his chest ‘Do I know you?’ and looked up at Lance hopefully.

“Is that me?”  
“I think so.” Lance searched the other boy’s eyes, wondering why there was still apprehension in them.  
“But do you want me like that?”  
“More than anything,” It was the first time Lance had admitted it out loud.

Keith pulled Lance in for a rough kiss. It was awkward, neither of them really knew what they were doing and it tasted of their tears, but nonetheless it was perfect.

\---

“Did you really not recognise me that night?” Lance asked his boyfriend of four months.  
“Hmm?” Keith looked up, confused.  
“Y’know, when we rescued Shiro,” Lance clarified.  
“Of course I did, you’re my soulmate.” Keith caressed Lance’s face and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, “I was just sad, bitter and alone. So I lashed out. Everyday I wish I hadn’t.”  
Lance grabs Keith’s wrist that is decorated with his words, “Me too.”

They both know that everything isn’t perfect. They’re both decorated with the other’s harsh words due to misdirected anger and they’re in the middle of a war. But, as Keith rests his head on Lance’s chest and Lance gently plays with Keith’s hair, they’re happy. Neither of them truly regret finding each other, maybe the way it happened, but never that it did. 

After all, the universe never makes mistakes, and they are soulmates.

**Author's Note:**

> so this kinda interrupted the other like 5 fics im writing and demanded that i write it so here you go. i totally rushed it and i haven't proofread it but im tired and lazy. sorry. 
> 
> feel free to point out any mistakes in the comments and I'll fix em. also feel free to message me on tumblr @homo-intended


End file.
